Beauty In Caring

ARTinMEDICINE

John Saito, MD

Click here to see Channel 6 Video News Clip

Welcome to my web site!

Click on the hyperlink to enter my gallery of oil paintings.

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Mission Statement

Most people think medicine and art is an unusual combination. Medicine is based on science, technology and factual evidence while art is personal, subjective, and interpretational. Seemingly divergent interests have created a rich blend that allows me to utilize both my medical and art training to express very deep emotions and experiences shared by doctors and patients. Painting keeps me attuned to my emotions, my humanity, and my compassion. Medicine allows me to view events with a scientific and clinical eye and provides beautiful visuals to recreate on canvas. Although very different in many ways, art and medicine have found a balance for me that is filled with beauty, humanity, and warmth.

My work is a visual diary of my experiences in the world of medicine. Each painting is snapshot of not only what I see, but also what I feel and how it reflects my sense of amazement and wonder about the unique human experience of healing. For example, it is truly awe inspiring to be at an emergency cesarean section at 3am when an obstetrician skillfully cuts into a woman’s belly and reaches deep into her body to bring a newborn into the world. Just as amazing is the handoff of that newborn into my sure hands for delivery to the awaiting warmer for assessment. Imagine the wonderful experience of handing the baby over to the anxiously awaiting parents who are overjoyed with their gift of life.

There are so many other wonderful people and experiences. There is the neonatologist cradling the premature newborn completely within palm of his hands, the lactation consultant who patiently teaches a new mom on the lost art of breast feeding, the pediatric heart surgeon skillfully mending a newborn’s tiny heart with sutures so fine that they are barely visible, and then there is the little girl peering into her baby sister’s isolette and wondering when she will come home.

Painting the human interaction between patient and physician brings empathy to my work as a doctor. The courage and poignancy of my patients, the excellence and compassion of my fellow physicians, and the endless wonderment of the human body provides limitless inspiration for my art.

My artistic mission is to offer insight into the science and technology of medicine through the emotion and warmth of my paintings. Through vivid colors and textures, I seek to portray the human spirit of my colleagues and patients in the high tech world of modern medicine. In essence, my goal is to capture the art of caring.

As a pediatric pulmonary fellow at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the richness of caring for all kinds of patients, including those with cystic fibrosis. My current project is a series of portraitures of these courageous patients and their caregivers.

At this time, I am working to introduce and share the value of art to medical students and residents at Texas A & M as a faculty member. I am also very proud of my work as the Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at the Children’s Hospital at Scott & White where members of our multi-disciplinary CF Team have such great commitment to caring for our patients.

Click here to see Video News Clip

Finally, through ARTinMEDICINE, I want to achieve several objectives. Artistically, I want to bring to art the life of medicine. Medically, I want to bring to medicine the unifying and healing potential of art. Ultimately, I want to return to people the essential value of art in all our lives.

If you would like exhibit my work at your hospital or would like to contribute to a project, please feel free to contact me via e-mail: JSaito@swmail.sw.org